


hell is empty

by UnrememberedSkies



Series: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Gen, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Memory Loss, Mild Horror, Possession, Protective Ben Hargreeves, Protective Luther Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 20:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20452769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnrememberedSkies/pseuds/UnrememberedSkies
Summary: Klaus manifests Ben so that he can speak to his siblings, but something tags along for the ride, and takes up residence in Klaus's body.





	hell is empty

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [Tumblr](https://unrememberedskies.tumblr.com/)! Title from The Tempest.

Klaus’s hands glow blue, and he reaches into the darkness. 

Ben’s crossing from the realm of the dead to the realm of the living takes his breath away, and he is left gasping for air as his brother shimmers into solidity and visibility. Despite having forewarning, this time, that this was going to happen, their siblings are still in varying degrees of shock. Diego’s eyes are wet, Vanya puts a hand to her mouth and lets out a muffled whimper. Luther surprises all of them by being the first to take a step forward and wrap their deceased brother in a hug. He presses his face into the material of Ben’s hoodie, and Ben pulls him tighter against him, shaking minutely.

After that, the others come forward, drifting one by one towards him, strangely formal and respectful of one another. Klaus wants to laugh, and he would, except something is wrong.

He can feel something else coming through, something uninvited.

He’s concentrating so hard on keeping Ben solid that he doesn’t feel it at first. But it soon becomes hard to ignore. When he manifests spirits in the mortal realm, he becomes the veil between worlds. Whereas Ben came through graciously, waiting for his invite to cross the threshold, whatever this is is forcing its way through, tearing through the curtain. 

Physically, it feels like it is pulling Klaus’s skin away from his body, like it is rearranging his internal organs just to make room for itself. Spiritually, it rips through him to enter the realm of the living.

His siblings are caught up in their reunion, their respectful silence turned to chatter and laughter. They don’t see Klaus quietly being torn apart. 

Ben turns to him, his smile wide and eyes shining. Klaus manages a weak smile in return, his heart swelling at the sight of his brother so happy, even as the thing inside him wraps an icy fist around it, squeezing until Klaus thinks the organ might burst. 

“Make sure you don’t overexert yourself,” Ben says, squeezing Klaus’s forearm. The hairs on Klaus’s arm stand on end as the creature inside rages against the touch. Ben looks down at where their skin meets, then up to meet Klaus’s eyes, a frown furrowing his brow.

Klaus would do anything to make that frown disappear and see that smile again. “Don’t worry about me, Benny, just getting a good workout.”

Ben’s smile is fond, but not the unbridled happiness that Klaus saw before. Klaus glances between his siblings, silently urging one of them to do something to bring that smile back; he is helpless to do anything. The creature inside him drinks up his misery like it’s a fine wine.

“So, can you eat?” Five asks, half scientific curiosity, half eagerness. 

Ben considers. “I’m not sure,” he admits, then grins wickedly, “but I’d love to find out.” Five grins and flashes out of the room.

“Where’s he going?” Diego asks, looking at the spot where Five disappeared.

“Probably to make a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich,” Vanya says, shooting Ben an amused look.

“Because apparently no one in this house knows how to make anything else,” Allison remarks, smiling. 

Ben laughs and it soothes the ache in Klaus’s chest a little. “To be honest, if I can eat, a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich is going to taste like Michelin Star cuisine.”

Five pops back into the room with the predicted peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich and presents it to Ben with a look of nervous anticipation on his face. Ben takes it with momentary hesitation, brings it to his mouth slowly like the action is foreign to him. After thirteen years, it probably is.

The siblings collectively hold their breath as he takes his first bite. Ben lets out a moan as he chews, closing his eyes in an unambiguous display of pleasure. Any tension in the room dissipates and the siblings start up their chatter once more. Someone mentions going to get doughnuts.

Klaus closes his eyes and focuses all his energy on keeping Ben manifested, steadfastly ignoring the unknown creature from another dimension that is taking up residence in his body and mind.

* * *

Klaus lies on his bed with his palm under his cheek, nausea stirring in his stomach. Ben sits on the end of his bed, weightless and intangible once more.

“That was incredible, Klaus,” he says, hugging his knees to his chest. He turns to Klaus, who doesn’t have the energy to look at him. “Really, I can’t thank you enough for doing that for me.”

“That’s okay,” Klaus says, voice a croaky whisper.

Ben silently shuffles up behind him, lying down so their bodies are parallel. His hand hovers over Klaus’s side, like he doesn’t want to break the illusion by trying to touch him and having his hand go through. Klaus tries to feel his warmth, but his imagination isn’t that good.

“Are you okay?”

Klaus presses his face into his palm, screwing up his face at the ceaseless throbbing behind his eyes. “Jus’ tired,” he mumbles.

“I’m sorry,” Ben says, eyes boring into the back of Klaus’s head, “I know it really takes it out of you.”

Klaus turns around, awkwardly shifting on the bed until he and Ben are nose to nose. “Don’t apologise,” he says, “I’d do it a thousand times. For you.”

There’s heartbreak in Ben’s eyes, as well as something Klaus has a harder time recognising. Ben never cries any more, not since he died, and Klaus isn’t even sure if ghosts are capable of crying. But he looks like he might now, even if the tears never come.

“I lied to them,” Ben whispers. Klaus waits. “I told them I could taste it. I just didn’t want them to be unhappy.”

A tear slips down the side of Klaus’s face and onto the pillow, because he’s never had any trouble crying. “I know,” he says, just as quietly.

They can’t hold each other, but they press as close as they can until Klaus falls into a fitful sleep, and the being inside him tightens its grip on his broken heart and fragile mind.

* * *

He’s a stranger in his own body. His skin feels two sizes too big, his limbs don’t do what he wants them to do, and his mind feels like it has been cut adrift.

Several times during the day he finds himself doubled over, pain and nausea at war in his stomach. He clings to whatever wall or piece of furniture is nearby and waits for the shivers to pass, until he can force himself upright and pretend that everything is fine. It feels a lot like withdrawal, but Klaus hasn’t touched any drink or drugs for nearly six months.

To soothe his aching body, he runs himself a bath and sinks into the blistering hot water with a sigh. As he tries to relax in the water, he can’t help but look down at his stomach. Tentatively, he brushes his fingers against the tattooed skin. Beneath his flesh, something brushes back. Something _inside_ him. The realisation hits and Klaus starts to shake so hard he cracks his head on the rim of the bathtub. He sits up, wincing, and presses his forehead into the hard bone of his knees until the bathwater goes cold around him. 

Ice builds at the edges of the water.

Klaus crosses the street before coming to a halt. He glances around him. The street is unfamiliar, filled with shops lit up brightly against the blue dark of the evening. People walk past him without sparing him a second glance, wrapped up in their conversations or thoughts of getting home for dinner. Klaus looks down himself; he’s wearing his lace up leather pants and big fluffy coat.

He doesn’t remember coming here. He doesn’t remember getting out of the bath. He doesn’t remember getting dressed. He doesn’t remember leaving the house. He doesn’t know where he is.

He scans the faces of those around him, hoping to see Ben, but he is alone. He doesn’t know where he is.

He swallows down the fear. He lived on the streets for years before coming back to the Academy, often woke up in places he didn’t recognise with no memory of how he got there. That was usually a sign of a good night.

Except he hasn’t been asleep. He hasn’t taken anything. He’d been having a bath. And now he’s here. He doesn’t know where he is.

Klaus rubs a hand over his face, trying not to think too hard about what this means. He looks for a street sign, a landmark, anything. He makes his way down the street, against the flow of foot traffic. He hugs himself against the cold as his eyes flit wildly from shop to shop, corner to street corner.

He finally comes across a payphone, and fumbles in his pocket for some loose change. He calls the Academy, waiting and silently pleading for someone to answer.

“Hello?” Diego. Klaus thanks a mean little god who doesn’t like him.

“Diego, I- can you come and pick me up?”

* * *

For someone so practised in the art of stealth, the looks Diego keeps shooting him are far from subtle. Klaus sits in the passenger seat, twisting his hands in his lap, and hoping Diego doesn’t say anything.

“What happened?” Diego asks, like he heard Klaus’s thoughts and just wants to spite him.

Klaus looks out of the window, waiting for the passing scenery to become familiar. “I don’t know,” he mutters, “I just went for a walk.”

“Hell of a walk.” There’s something beneath Diego’s tone, something accusatory that’s trying very hard not to be, but failing.

“I’m not high.” Klaus turns to look at Diego, wanting him to understand so desperately because _what’s the point of going through all this suffering in sobriety if everyone thinks he’s high anyway?_

Diego sighs, glances across at Klaus. He must see something in him that makes him think Klaus is telling the truth. “Okay. I believe you,” he says. “So, what happened?”

Klaus doesn’t have an answer for that. They sit in silence for the rest of the ride home, but when they get out of the car and head inside, Diego’s hand is warm and gently guiding on Klaus’s back. A part of Klaus wishes he could tell Diego what is really happening. But what good are knives against creatures of the darkness?

When he gets back to his bedroom, he sits with his knees pulled to his chest, and waits for Ben. He drifts off at one point, propped up against his headboard. He dreams something is crawling up his throat, forcing his jaw open and pushing its body, long and segmented out of his mouth, crawling down his body.

When he wakes, there is nothing there, but his throat aches. Breath hitching in his throat, Klaus turns onto his side and huddles under his blanket, blinking tears from his eyes. There is movement near his door. He looks up, and bolts upright as relief floods through him.

“Where have you been?”

“Where have I been?” Ben looks pale and wide-eyed. “Where were you?”

He takes a hesitant step towards Klaus, like he’s afraid Klaus will disappear if he moves too quickly. Like Klaus is the ghost, and not him. Klaus swings his legs over the side of the bed and reaches out his hand towards his brother. Ben looks at it for a moment, then closes the space between them and takes Klaus’s hand in his.

They stay like that for a moment, and Klaus tries to find solace in the touch of his brother’s hand. He is painfully aware that this is the first time he’s manifested Ben since his body became the new home for the parasitic entity that he can still feel wriggling around his insides.

Ben rubs Klaus’s knuckles with his thumb. “You disappeared. I couldn’t sense you at all.”

Klaus looks up at him, lost. “Something’s wrong, Benny.”

Ben gives him an appraising look, forehead creased in thought. “Tell me.”

Klaus scoots across the bed, pressing against the wall so Ben can sit next to him. Ben sits, thumb still stroking across Klaus’s knuckles, a steadying metronome of touch. Klaus hesitates, staring down at their joined hands, trying to form the words in his mouth. “There’s something… in me.” He casts a furtive glance at Ben, whose thoughtful expression gives nothing away. “It happened when I manifested you last. And it’s… making me lose bits of my memory. Like, it takes control of my body and I have no idea what it’s doing.”

He glances at Ben, waiting for his clever brother to tell him what to do. Ben looks shaken, but still thoughtful. “Where is it?” he asks hoarsely. Klaus frowns at the question, not quite sure what he means. Ben releases his hand and places his palm flat over Klaus’s stomach. “Here?”

Klaus can feel something stir in his stomach beneath Ben’s hand, but his eyes are fixed on Ben, so he sees the way Ben’s pupils dilate, the way his breath catches in his throat. He sees the way Ben clenches his jaw and closes his eyes, breathing slowly and deeply through his nose. “Ben?”

Ben’s eyes snap open and he snatches his hand away from Klaus’s stomach. He scrambles off the bed and runs a hand through his hair, an uncharacteristic nervous gesture. “You need to tell the others.” He’s still breathless, like he’s just run up a flight of stairs.

“What do they know about this sort of thing? They don’t understand my powers.”

“Maybe not,” Ben agrees, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets, “but they can at least keep an eye on you, make sure your body doesn’t go wandering off again on its own accord.”

Klaus looks down at his knees, picking at the material of his blanket. Ben is right, damn him, but it doesn’t make the prospect of telling his siblings any easier.

“You should get some sleep, you look exhausted.”

“I can’t,” Klaus says, stricken. “When I sleep it… comes out.” 

Ben’s expression softens. He pads over to perch on the end of Klaus’s bed. “I’ll keep watch,” he promises. “Anything comes out of you, I’ll kill it.” He smiles, and Klaus can’t help but smile back. He lies back down, keeping his eyes on Ben until he drifts off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

He doesn’t tell his siblings everything, only that he is losing parts of his memory and he thinks it’s to do with his powers. They all agree to keep an eye on him, and Klaus would chafe at the thought of needing babysitting, but he’s just so tired and scared of finding himself in a strange place again. 

They collectively decide that they need a project to keep them all occupied, and Allison suggests they box up Reginald’s belongings in the living room so they can add their own stuff and make the room their own. There is surprisingly little resistance from anyone. Luther immediately starts talking about a massive leather couch he’s seen in a furniture outlet that he thinks they could all comfortably fit on, including him. Five and Vanya go off to get some paint samples so they can decide on a colour for the walls. Diego goes upstairs to find some boxes

Allison and Luther start gathering the hundreds of ornaments and trophies that cover the living room, trying to cajole Klaus into helping like parents trying to get their sulky teenager to join in family activities. Klaus tries, to begin with, because he doesn’t want to upset them, but eventually he just goes to sit on the settee, feet tucked beneath him, head against the armrest. They leave him be, especially when Diego comes down with the cardboard boxes and they start bickering over what they should save and what they should just drop off the roof and into the courtyard. 

Klaus lets their voices wash over them, lulling him into a reverie, as he listens to another heartbeat pump against his own. He is still only because it makes him nauseous to move, makes his head swim if he focuses too much. If he’s still, he can pretend he doesn’t exist, that he can’t feel anything, that he’s not here.

He closes his eyes, just for a second.

“Klaus!” The tone of Luther’s voice suggests this isn’t the first time his brother has said his name. Klaus forces his eyes open. “Are you doing this?”

Luther’s breath clouds in front of him, and Klaus realises he’s cold. No, not just him, the whole room is cold. Allison and Diego are both hugging themselves against the chill as they look at him with concern.

“Wha-?” is all he can manage, struggling to drag himself from sleep.

Luther puts a big hand on his arm. He glances back to the others. “He’s freezing.”

“Yeah, no shit,” says Diego, “it’s freezing in here.”

“No, colder than I’ve ever known,” says Luther shrugging off his overcoat. Klaus wonders why he would do that; they’re right, it is freezing; Luther should be wrapping up, not stripping off. _Oh,_ he’s wrapping Klaus in it, lifting him up as if he weighs no more than a housecat, and tucking the warm material around Klaus’s icy body. Klaus lets himself be arranged like a doll, still too out of it to take control of his own limbs.

“We need to get him somewhere warm,” Allison says, taking charge.

Luther nods, and immediately scoops Klaus up into his arms. Klaus moans at the movement, his head spinning. His brother carries him out of the living room, up the stairs, to his room. “It’s going to be okay,” Luther tells him, quietly, so the others can’t hear, “we’ll find out what this is, and we’ll stop it.”

Klaus can’t respond, but he lolls his head against Luther’s shoulder in a way that he hopes comes across as appreciative. 

Diego goes ahead to pull down the blankets of Klaus’s bed, rooting in the wardrobe for more. Allison goes to fill up a hot water bottle. Luther places Klaus in the bed, overcoat and all, and tucks the blankets around him. Klaus feels a pleasant weight as more blankets are added. It’s sweet of them, he thinks, dreamily, but no number of blankets will warm him when the cold comes from his very soul.

He listens to them talking, discussing him. “We need to find out what’s causing this.”

“Didn’t he say it was something to do with his powers? Maybe there’s something in Dad’s notebooks that can help.”

“Except I think Dad didn’t know shit about the real extent of Klaus’s powers.”

“Well he’s the closest thing we have to an expert, who else knows about this sort of thing?”

“Ben,” Klaus whispers, silencing the voices above him. “Where’s Ben?”

He sees his siblings look at each other. Diego comes to crouch beside the bed. “I don’t know, Klaus. You tell us,” he says softly.

Klaus looks into Diego’s dark eyes, searching for the answer. “I can’t find him.”

Diego opens his mouth, then closes it. He looks up at Luther and Allison. 

“Maybe we should give him something, he seems distressed,” Luther says, but both Klaus and Diego cut him off with a sharp ‘no’.

“No drugs,” Diego reiterates, and Klaus is grateful. He doesn’t need to add _that_ to the list of painful and confusing things he’s feeling right now. He needs Ben, so where is he? 

He zones in and out as his siblings discuss a plan of action, is vaguely aware of Five and Vanya’s return, of Five and Allison disappearing to find Dad’s notebooks, of Vanya and Luther going to see if there’s anything of use in the library, of Diego saying he would stay and keep an eye on Klaus.

The grey winter daylight eventually fades and Klaus watches as Diego rises to switch on a lamp. His brother sees him looking and comes to sit down on the bed next to him. “How are you feeling?” he asks.

Klaus doesn’t feel anything. Diego reaches out to brush a curl away from Klaus’s face, a gesture he never would have made if he wasn’t alone. Diego is alone. Something full of malice rises in Klaus and he grabs hold of Diego’s arm with superhuman strength. He takes a vicious pleasure in seeing the surprise on Diego’s face, especially when he twists and hears the bones creak.

Diego brings his free hand to Klaus’s own wrist, but he is too soft, too _frightened_ of hurting his precious brother to put any strength into it. Klaus slithers out of his grasp, plucks a knife from Diego’s belt with deft fingers and brings it slicing towards his brother’s neck. Diego deflects, blocking the attack with his forearm and attempting to knock Klaus off his balance. 

Klaus rights himself, grinning widely. His mouth feels sticky, teeth coated in a thick tar-like substance that burns in his throat. Diego’s look of unbridled horror makes him laugh, a hissing, clicking sound that is completely inhuman. He launches himself at Diego, knife poised and teeth bared. Diego dodges and turns, grabbing Klaus by the arm and the neck and slamming him against the wall. Klaus squirms in his grasp, nails gouging deep lines in the plaster.

The noise attracts the attention of the others, and they come careening into the room. The distraction is enough for Klaus to gain an advantage. He wriggles out from beneath Diego, brings the knife down into the flesh of his thigh. Diego cries out and falls back. Klaus advances on him, until he is stopped by powerful arms that wrap around him and hold him fast. 

“Klaus,” Luther grunts, as Klaus struggles against him, “come back. This isn’t you, come back to us.”

Klaus spits, black and viscous, as Luther knocks the knife from his grasp. Five darts to pick it up, while Allison goes to Diego, who is panting and pale.

“Luther!” Vanya’s voice calls out clear across the room. Luther turns to look at her, bringing Klaus with him, crushing him against his body. “Don’t hurt him.” 

Luther’s grip slackens immediately. “Vanya, I-” Klaus breaks free, eyes wild as they fix on Vanya. He takes a step towards her, hissing in anticipation.

Behind her, something catches his eye. 

He stops and straightens as he focuses on Ben, hackles still raised but more cautious as he eyes his brother, whose face is set and whose eyes are almost black. Against his will, his fists clench and glow blue. 

“Move out of the way, Vanya,” Ben says as he takes a step forward and lifts his hoodie.

Vanya does as she’s told. “Ben, what are you doing?”

“You won’t hurt me,” Klaus gloats. The Eldritch emerges, tentacles poised and ready to attack. Klaus laughs.

Ben plunges a tentacle into his stomach. Klaus screams.

It’s a strange feeling, the metaphysical wrestling match that is taking place within his spiritual body. It is highly unpleasant, and painful, Klaus can feel something being forcibly ripped away from where it is wrapped around his organs, flowing through his blood, buried in his mind and soul.

The thing struggles, fights back. But the Eldritch is ancient and powerful and this being is little more than a parasite. It can do no real damage to the Eldritch, so it settles for wreaking as much havoc on Klaus as it can. 

He is held prone by the Eldritch, until Klaus can feel the creature _torn_ from his body, pulled out by powerful tentacles, and it emerges screeching and struggling into the physical plane. Klaus collapses backwards and feels Luther catch him.

He gapes at the creature, a huge oil-black millipede-like creature that’s as long as Klaus is tall. Its segmented body wriggles in the grip of the Eldritch, and its thousands of long, needle-like legs lash out at the tentacles, trying to land a hit. It’s hissing and clicking and screeching, but even in the din, Klaus can still hear Ben’s voice, echoing with the voice of the Eldritch.

“You have no right to touch him,” they say. “He’s ours.”

The tentacles twist and pull, and black blood splatters across the room as the parasite is torn apart, and Ben and the Eldritch drop the two halves carelessly.

There is silence in the room. Klaus sees Vanya, covered in parasite blood, blinking rapidly. Luther is cradling him like a child, but his hands are trembling. Klaus can’t see the others behind him, but nobody says a word. 

Klaus feels like he’s just had a gangrenous foot amputated, relieved but dazed. There is a lingering ache throughout his body and a softness to the edges of his mind that tell him he’s going to pass out. Fighting unconsciousness, he looks at Ben, at the Eldritch.

They meet eyes. Then, the tentacles come forward, slower, more careful this time. “Let us take him,” Ben says, still speaking with two voices. Klaus can feel Luther’s reluctance, but when he reaches a shaking hand towards Ben, Luther lets him go. The tentacles slide round Klaus’s body gently but firmly. They hook under his arms and legs and bring him towards Ben.

Klaus loses consciousness as the tentacles close around him and he disappears into their embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> Look out for a sequel/companion piece to this from Ben's POV in the near future. Comments and kudos are love!


End file.
